I asked the Lord to show me a verse to pray over my family for 2017 and I want to share it with you. I believe He led me to Isaiah 26:3 which says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Father, I pray that you would help us to keep our minds set on…
One word. This was the challenge. This morning I asked my Facebook friends to describe 2016 in one word. Many were heartwarming and made me smile; others hurt my heart. How would I describe 2016 — complete. In 2016 I completed my dissertation; I completed the PhD program and graduated. I completed the national mental health counseling examination and achieved several longstanding goals. Jorjanne finished…
The holidays bring families together; this can be a joyous time of celebration OR it can be a time of intense conflict and stress. Over the years, I’ve experienced both the magic of Christmas through the eyes of a child, and the horror of unfiltered, angry words instigating heart-wrenching pain. If Christmas brings joy and peace in your home, give glory to God and thank…
Panic. Dread. Unprecedented Fear. These emotions describe the turmoil in our car just moments before Jorjanne’s first driving lesson.After a quick prayer, I gently instructed her on keeping it between the lines, knowing when to brake and when to speed up. As I did these feelings slowly began to dissipate. Peace and calm gradually filled the space once filled with anxiety and worry. As I’ve…
You’ve seen it. Someone is upset and they use the internet to “air out” their frustrations with someone else. College students complain about roommates. Individuals air the family’s dirty laundry on Facebook, seeking to shame each other. Ex’s use Instagram to denigrate the person who was once loved. Let’s not even start with how bad this has gotten in political posts. I’m not sure when…
Over the past few weeks I have been inundated with calls and meetings with people in crisis. Life is tough…there are days when we all wonder how we will persevere. In times of extreme stress, our brain releases cortisol in effort to help us regulate our stress response so that we can return to a state of homeostasis. In moderation, cortisol is a helpful hormone….